A Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana and Executive Director of the Centre for Policy Scrutiny, Dr Adu Owusu Sarkodie, has criticised the government’s implementation of the 24-hour economy policy, describing it as inconsistent with its own policy document and “far from reality.”
According to him, although the government’s 287-page 24-hour economy policy is comprehensive and well-researched, there is a wide gap between what the document proposes and what is currently being implemented.
The 24-Hour Economy is a flagship initiative of the current government aimed at ensuring economic activities continue around the clock through major investments in key sectors of the economy.
Speaking in an interview, Dr Sarkodie said the much-publicised “1-3-3” economic transformation agenda receives little attention in the policy document despite being heavily promoted by the government.
“When you read the 24-hour economy document, about 287 pages, we have done a thorough review of the document. What you see in that document are brilliant ideas. In fact, I have not read any government document that is so well-researched,” he said.
“But where is the implementation? And so when you promise 1-3-3, and when you go to the document, 1-3-3 appears only once on page 18, only once out of 287 pages,” he stated.
Dr Sarkodie also questioned the government’s focus on constructing 24-hour economy markets, arguing that the country must first strengthen production before expanding marketplaces.
“The narration has always been economic transformation, economic transformation, and that the economic transformation is the process and the 1-3-3 shift is a destination. And therefore, we should finish the process before the destination,” he explained.
He added:
“But why are you building markets? Why are you building a 24-hour economy market? Because when you build markets, and you have not transformed and produced, what you are going to sell there are still imported commodities.”
Dr Sarkodie urged the government to align the implementation of the policy with the objectives and recommendations outlined in the 24-hour economy document.
“What is being promised, what is contained in the document, and what is being done are completely different things. And I don’t think that it is good for us. I think the government should do well,” he said.
